Choi moves to Malaysia after Macau closure

There will soon be a new face at the races in Malaysia – and he is no slouch when it comes to affairs of the horse.

Right now the name Choi Chun Wai – or CW Choi or Ricky Choi as he is more popularly known in racing circles – might not ring a bell on the Malaysian circuit.

But, given his credentials, it is a name which might soon be rolling off your tongue.

Choi, 52, has been granted a trainer’s licence by the Malayan Racing Association (MRA) and is now based in Selangor, more specifically at the Sungei Besi racecourse in Kuala Lumpur.

Not one to waste time, Choi revealed in an interview that he has already started moving his horses over from Macau, which was his last stop on his horsey journey.

“I have flown over 14 of my horses – 13 are from Macau and one has come in from Australia,” he said. “More will follow shortly.”

He added: “It usually takes about three months to get horses acclimatised, used to new surroundings and ready to race.

“What it means is that I expect to start my Malaysian operations in October or, at the latest, early November.”

While little is known about exactly how many horses he plans to race, one thing is certain. Choi will make an impact at his new home.

After all, he is not afraid to take on new challenges.

A “horseman” for most of his adult life, Choi first plied his trade as a rider in that vibrant and fiery racing cauldron that is his own hometown – Hong Kong.

Like most youngsters, he started out as an apprentice – and he was a pretty smart one. It was tough but he rode the waves and the bumps.

A year into racing, he was crowned Hong Kong champion apprentice jockey in the 1991/1992 season.

From 2000 to 2011, he held a jockey’s licence.

That was in Macau where he had set up base, and again, he competed against some of the best.

But more changes were to come.

In 2011, and for reasons known only to himself, Choi hung up his breeches, boots and whip and took that next step.

He found a job as a stable supervisor with jockey-turned-trainer Geoff Allendorf.

He worked hard and it paid dividends.

In 2014, he was promoted to assistant trainer and in 2018, he earned his trainer’s licence.

Yes, he has been around the block, so to speak.

But this move to Malaysia tops it all.

People have asked him: “Why Malaysia? Why Selangor?”

His answer was simple: “With the Macau Jockey Club closed and the Singapore Turf Club closing, I had to look for a place to develop my career and Selangor looked like a good fit.”

A “good fit”, maybe. But what about the challenges? And surely there were going to be many? Choi admitted in his interview that he knew what he was getting into.

“The first thing I realised when I arrived here in Selangor was that being a trainer in Malaysia was unlike anything I had expected. It was like running a company,” he said.

“Unlike what it was in Macau where the club arranged almost everything for us. Here in Malaysia, I had to fend for myself.

“Here, I have to do everything myself – and that is a challenge.”

But he is taking it all in his stride.

He knows he has made his bed and must now lie in it.

How does he compare Malaysia to Macau?

“No fight,” he said. “Malaysia wins. Here, there is so much space. In Macau and Hong Kong, it was cramped. The horses lived in small stables. To them, it must have felt like they were in a prison.

“Here it is so different. It is like a return to nature. I love it and I know my horses are going to be happy.”

So, the next question had to come up.

When he does begin racing, what can Malaysian racing fans look forward to?

Has Choi got some really good horses in the barn? Horses that could ignite the scene?

Well, he was not shy to say that all of his horses are pretty good.

“Luen On Feelings is an up-and-coming four-year-old with plenty of potential. He should adapt rather quickly,” he said.

“Then there is Lucky Runner. He was just starting to make progress when racing shut down. He will do well here.

“And I also have another good one in Handsome Magnesium. He won a 1,200m on Macau’s last day (March 30) and he is not far from regaining his best form.“

Yes, by the looks of things, Choi cannot wait to saddle his first runner – and hopefully his first winner – in his new home.

Along those same lines, Malaysia’s avid racegoers will be waiting to see how much more colour and glamour this new face can and will bring to their world of racing.

Right now, it looks like a win-win situation.

brian@sph.com.sg